Need input to chose which 997 to buy out of three.
#16
Three Wheelin'
Re 1, These two photos show two different front bumpers. The first photo (side shot) shows an OEM bumper and aftermarket LED foglights. The second photo looks like a 997.2 or boxster bumper, or its just been smushed and the owner has painted the radiator intake cross member.
Re 2, you have a few components you need to consider on pricing:
1. You are buying the seller as much as you are buying the car. Who do you trust, who has the most service records and history, who do you feel cared for the car the best.
2. The results from the PPI will be the primary factor to determine price. One may need brakes, tires, a new starter cable, 40k service, etc... while another may be clean. That's a +/- $4k swing that needs to be taken into account in the selling price. Example, on the third option the PCM flickering could be an expensive fix, or you will need to find a used one on eBay, which will likely run you $500+.
3. Lastly, from a mileage standpoint i personally don't see much difference in a 40 or 65k mile car, as long as the maintenance has been done on them. If you put 15-20k miles on it over 3 years you will obviously have better resale on a car with 65k miles vs a car with 90k miles...but it likely will net out because the lower mile cars are tips.
Final point, if you are dead set on an automatic transmission if might be worthwhile looking for higher mile 997.2's with PDK transmissions.
Re 2, you have a few components you need to consider on pricing:
1. You are buying the seller as much as you are buying the car. Who do you trust, who has the most service records and history, who do you feel cared for the car the best.
2. The results from the PPI will be the primary factor to determine price. One may need brakes, tires, a new starter cable, 40k service, etc... while another may be clean. That's a +/- $4k swing that needs to be taken into account in the selling price. Example, on the third option the PCM flickering could be an expensive fix, or you will need to find a used one on eBay, which will likely run you $500+.
3. Lastly, from a mileage standpoint i personally don't see much difference in a 40 or 65k mile car, as long as the maintenance has been done on them. If you put 15-20k miles on it over 3 years you will obviously have better resale on a car with 65k miles vs a car with 90k miles...but it likely will net out because the lower mile cars are tips.
Final point, if you are dead set on an automatic transmission if might be worthwhile looking for higher mile 997.2's with PDK transmissions.
#19
Racer
Assuming that the PPI checks out and the maintenance commensurate for the mileage has been completed, my choice is #3. It's a manual, a nice colour combo that you don't see often. I personally wouldn't choose black (#2), but that's just me. When I was looking for mine I found there's no shortage of black cabs for sale! As for #3 not having sport chrono on a manual car, don't let that be a deal break.
In regards to #1, I remember seeing that add listed so it's been for sale for a while. Be sure to see the grey interior in person though and make sure you like it and it is in good condition. I found that colour didn't age well. By that rear photo it looks to also have Sports Exhaust (PSE, which you can identify by the two different sized exhaust tips). Check for the button on the dash. The small aftermarket spoiler also disappears in one rear photo ... And yeah that front photo is definitely of a Boxster, something wrong there - that's what drew me to remember that listing for the car, I knew I had seen it before!
In regards to #1, I remember seeing that add listed so it's been for sale for a while. Be sure to see the grey interior in person though and make sure you like it and it is in good condition. I found that colour didn't age well. By that rear photo it looks to also have Sports Exhaust (PSE, which you can identify by the two different sized exhaust tips). Check for the button on the dash. The small aftermarket spoiler also disappears in one rear photo ... And yeah that front photo is definitely of a Boxster, something wrong there - that's what drew me to remember that listing for the car, I knew I had seen it before!
#20
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
Contacted seller who said he had changed the bumper to achieve the look of a 2012.
I like the red too, but the flickering radio thing stresses me.
As for the black, the Idea is growing on me. I am picturing these rims painted black with a red hotwheel stripe, and maybe that Porsche stripe in red that some run on the lower doors, that could end as a rock guard on the rear fenders like those old 911 turbos had.... I don't know, still brainstorming here. But at the same time, it is true that a lot of 911s are black.
But tell me... Do the tiptronics suck that bad??? I thought they were practically bulletproof. In fact, a lot of reviews regarding it, say that.
Won't be racing it on the track or anything, just driving around slightly under the speed of light. So I can very well live with the auto tranny, as long as it's reliable.
Thanks again all.... keep your thoughts coming.
I like the red too, but the flickering radio thing stresses me.
As for the black, the Idea is growing on me. I am picturing these rims painted black with a red hotwheel stripe, and maybe that Porsche stripe in red that some run on the lower doors, that could end as a rock guard on the rear fenders like those old 911 turbos had.... I don't know, still brainstorming here. But at the same time, it is true that a lot of 911s are black.
But tell me... Do the tiptronics suck that bad??? I thought they were practically bulletproof. In fact, a lot of reviews regarding it, say that.
Won't be racing it on the track or anything, just driving around slightly under the speed of light. So I can very well live with the auto tranny, as long as it's reliable.
Thanks again all.... keep your thoughts coming.
Last edited by Steph1; 01-08-2019 at 09:29 AM.
#21
Rennlist Member
Drive a TIP
Paddles, in manual shift and you will love it.
Want to just cruise go full auto and sit back.
Not a PDK but also a lot cheaper.
Paddles, in manual shift and you will love it.
Want to just cruise go full auto and sit back.
Not a PDK but also a lot cheaper.
#23
Drifting
I’ve never understood the concept of asking complete strangers what their opinions are on a matter that is entirely personal.
I don’t think there could be a more useless method of making a decision. If you don’t strongly prefer one over the others, just close your eyes and pick one.
I don’t think there could be a more useless method of making a decision. If you don’t strongly prefer one over the others, just close your eyes and pick one.
#24
Nordschleife Master
I’ve never understood the concept of asking complete strangers what their opinions are on a matter that is entirely personal.
I don’t think there could be a more useless method of making a decision. If you don’t strongly prefer one over the others, just close your eyes and pick one.
I don’t think there could be a more useless method of making a decision. If you don’t strongly prefer one over the others, just close your eyes and pick one.
This ^^^^^ along with the "price check" threads. Between Porsche USA, Autotrader, Cars.com and whatever else is out there now it takes less than 15 minutes to get a good idea of what a particular car should be priced at, give or take a bit depending on location and perhaps time of the year.
To the OP, I rarely respond to threads like these since so much of choosing the "right" car is personal but since you state you prefer tip over manual and only one of the three you refer to is a tip, the choice should be obvious. Has to be a legitimate reason you want a tip rather than a manual and there's a big difference between shifting manually and having an automatic. Bigger difference than colors of wheels, body and interior imo. All other things seem close enough to be ignored as I see it.
#25
#26
Three Wheelin'
I’ve never understood the concept of asking complete strangers what their opinions are on a matter that is entirely personal.
I don’t think there could be a more useless method of making a decision. If you don’t strongly prefer one over the others, just close your eyes and pick one.
I don’t think there could be a more useless method of making a decision. If you don’t strongly prefer one over the others, just close your eyes and pick one.
#27
Contacted seller who said he had changed the bumper to achieve the look of a 2012.
I like the red too, but the flickering radio things stresses me.
As for the black, the Idea oi growing on me. I am picturing these rims painted black with a red hotwheel stripe, and maybe that Porsche stripe in red that some run on the lower doors, that could end on the rear fender like those old 911 turbos had.... I don't know, still brainstorming here. But it is true that a lot of 911 are black.
But tell me... Do the tiptronics suck that bad??? I thought they were practically bulletproof. In fact, a lot of reviews regarding it, say that.
Won't be racing it on the track or anything, just driving around slightly under the speed of light😁. So I can very live with the auto tranny, as long as it's reliable.
Thanks again all.... keep your thoughts coming.
I like the red too, but the flickering radio things stresses me.
As for the black, the Idea oi growing on me. I am picturing these rims painted black with a red hotwheel stripe, and maybe that Porsche stripe in red that some run on the lower doors, that could end on the rear fender like those old 911 turbos had.... I don't know, still brainstorming here. But it is true that a lot of 911 are black.
But tell me... Do the tiptronics suck that bad??? I thought they were practically bulletproof. In fact, a lot of reviews regarding it, say that.
Won't be racing it on the track or anything, just driving around slightly under the speed of light😁. So I can very live with the auto tranny, as long as it's reliable.
Thanks again all.... keep your thoughts coming.
There are no benefits with the PDK in the city traffic compared to the Tiptronic, the latter might even be smoother. The problem is that Porsche had to lower the CO2 emissions, which meant the control over the engine speed (=CO2 emissions) had to be taken away from the driver. As the Tiptronic is lousy in sporty driving situations, there was no chance to push everybody to buy the future 7- or 8-speed Tiptronic. It had to be a an automatic that is better on the race track than the torque converter Tiptronic. The better automatic for a sporty driver is the double-clutch gearbox.
The problem with the CO2-optimized PDK software is that in normal mode the car is using very high gear and ultra-low rpm in the city driving and this makes the car rather lazy. When you want to accelerate quickly, it has to change 2 gears down and that takes as long as with the Tiptronic. Now, when you keep the Sport-mode on, the car uses too high rpm and the noise makes you not to want to drive all the time in Sport-mode in the city. So, you either have 1400 rpm or 2800 rpm, but you would ideally want to drive between 2000 and 2500 rpm to have good torque available anytime without the rattle of the Sport-mode. Although the PDK is 5% more effective in terms of fuel consumption on the paper, in reality, if you drive it with the same rpm as you would drive a manual gearbox car, the benefit is not there anymore. From the good side the PDK is 10 kg/22 lb lighter than the Tiptronic was, but PDK needs its clutches to be changed like in the manual gearbox car. So, if you are a city driver and like automatic gearboxes, you cannot benefit from the PDK over the Tiptronic. On the race track, in the Sport Plus mode the PDK is perfect while Tiptronic is quite awful in any mode on the race track. With the manual gearbox you are good everywhere, including the feeling being part of the car and aswell as regarding the residual value of your car.
#29
My experience in NJ , when I inquired about a trade in, was that the car was devalued due to the manual trans and everywhere I looked, the cab was devalued compared to the coupe. I love the all wheel drive. A lot of currant supercars use it. I never drove a 977 with 2 wheel drive, but I can say my steering is awesome, and in wet weather the car in crazy good and confidence inspiring. I don't drive it in snow. To me the benefit is when wet and or real cold weather where traction is more limited. We get a lot of that in Jersey. Whats the weather like in Canada? Are you only driving on sunny days? I love taking my car when it rains! I love triple black. To me, my Atlas grey looks boring at times. The car with 65K miles will likley need a clutch soon if not already done. Around 2-3K for that depending on the flywheel.
#30
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
I’ve never understood the concept of asking complete strangers what their opinions are on a matter that is entirely personal.
I don’t think there could be a more useless method of making a decision. If you don’t strongly prefer one over the others, just close your eyes and pick one.
I don’t think there could be a more useless method of making a decision. If you don’t strongly prefer one over the others, just close your eyes and pick one.
That is why I also mentioned the mileage and price of the cars. To know which one, with the equipment that you see, is the best buy and the less likely to be a problematic car.